Input/Output (I/O) connectors are commonly used to provide connectivity between components within a computing system. Examples of common I/O connectors include small foreign factor pluggable (SFP), quad form-factor pluggable (QSFP), miniSAS, and PCIe connectors.
Typically, an I/O connector system includes cable assembly and a board mounted connector. The cable assembly, which includes a pair of plug connectors on opposite ends of a cable, is configured to transmit signals over a desired distance. The board mounted connectors typically include a receptacle positioned in a panel with the receptacle configured to receive and mate with the plug connector.
I/O connectors use different techniques to manage thermal energy in rack type mounting systems. Typically, the rack includes a cage configured with an upper port and a lower port. In these arrangements, a heat sink is often readably adapted to engage a module positioned in the upper port but not when positioned in a lower port. In these instances, other thermal management structures have been employed, such a directed air flow and other thermal transfer methods such as thermal conductors to engage the module and channel the thermal energy to a location outside the cage. These methods can be costly and use valuable space limited options for adjacently positioned I/O connectors, especially high-density architectures.